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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27043969">Though Wind May Blow and Rain May Fall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spilled_inkwell/pseuds/spilled_inkwell'>spilled_inkwell</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Young Frodo Baggins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:08:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27043969</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spilled_inkwell/pseuds/spilled_inkwell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A young Frodo Baggins is frightened of thunder storms. Uncle Bilbo knows how to help with such things.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bilbo Baggins &amp; Frodo Baggins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Though Wind May Blow and Rain May Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mop of black curls quivered from where it poked out from under the blankets. Frodo bit his lip as he braced himself for another boom from outside. The rain hadn't been particularly heavy earlier that evening but after supper the clouds finally decided to burst. The young hobbit shook as another distant rumble echoed in the sky and he dared to open his eyes, thinking that the storm had run its course. He had barely lowered his blanket when an even louder crash of thunder seemed to rattle his window and he leapt out of his bed and was down the corridor like a shot. Without waiting for Bilbo to put down his book Frodo barrelled into his uncle and held on tightly.</p><p>	"Oh, Frodo my lad," gasped Bilbo, patting Frodo's curls. The young hobbit shook, his eyes screwed tightly shut, and Bilbo held him until he had calmed down a little. When Frodo stiffened in his arms at another roar of distant thunder Bilbo had a thought. "Why don't you keep my chair warm for a moment," he said, perching Frodo onto his armchair before retreating into the kitchen. Not 5 minutes later Bilbo came back with a mug of warm cocoa and a blanket from the back of one of his chairs and settled Frodo more comfortably in his seat.</p><p>	"Thanks," mumbled Frodo who was keeping a wary eye on the window.</p><p>	Bilbo sighed, drawing up a second chair close to his nephew. "You know, I don't believe I've seen it rain this hard since I was on that little adventure of mine," he mused, trying to hide his smile when he caught Frodo perking up at the possibility of a story.</p><p>	"When the trolls wanted to eat you for dinner?" Frodo asked eagerly.</p><p>	"Oh surely you remember that story well enough my boy. They would not have turned to stone if there were rain clouds in the sky to hide the sun. No, this came after the bother with the trolls, when we were crossing the mountains into the wilds."</p><p>	Frodo almost missed his mouth with his next sip of cocoa and straightened himself in his chair to listen all the better to his uncle's tale. "It was raining as bad as this on the mountains?"</p><p>	Bilbo put on his best shocked expression. "As bad as this, you say? This is a light drizzle compared to what we had to march and climb through on those mountains. That was such a rain that could soak through the most waterproof of clothing and leave you wringing out your shirt for days after. That was not the type of rain anyone would want to play in, not even precarious little hobbits."</p><p>	Frodo smiled abashedly into his mug as before supper Bilbo had given him a light scolding for playing in the rain with Sam longer than he ought to have done, muddying not only his good trousers but Bilbo's nice clean rug in the process. </p><p>	 Bilbo grinned and continued. "Yet we were to find that there was in fact something in that terrible rain on the mountain side. Stone Giants."</p><p>	Frodo's eyes were like saucers. "Stone Giants?"</p><p>	"The very same," said Bilbo. "Taller than the mountains themselves and made out of the living rock they loomed in the dark before us. They towered so high into the night sky that the lightning seemed to crackle off their broad shoulders."</p><p>	"Why didn't you see them before if they are so big?" asked Frodo.</p><p>	Bilbo faltered for a moment, cut off in his stride, but rallied quickly in the face of his nephew's enthusiasm. "Well you see, when Stone Giants are asleep they are so still and silent they look to be a part of the very mountain itself. But they love the rain and the harder and wilder the storm, the better. That is the time when they will wake and play their games."</p><p>	"They play games? What games?"</p><p>	"Oh all sorts I'd imagine, but that night we saw that they were tossing a boulder to one another, back and forth. Some threw it high while others threw it rather hard but when a giant would miss or drop their ball it would smash down upon the mountain with a deafening crashing and banging as it crumbled into nothing more than pebbles. Yet that would not stop their fun, for the rain was still pelting down and they were excited for the game, and so with their cliff-like hands they would scoop up another mighty chunk of rock as easily as you could pluck a stone from the mud, and start their game anew."</p><p>	A fresh rumble of thunder interrupted Frodo's next question but Bilbo was pleased to notice that it didn't have as strong an effect on the young hobbit as it used to. "Why do they like the rain so much?"</p><p>	Bilbo smiled gently. "You know, I didn't stop to ask. The next time I see one I'll be sure to ask them for you."</p><p>	Frodo looked thoughtfully out of the window as he finished up his cocoa. "Are the Stone Giants playing right now uncle Bilbo?"</p><p>	"Hmm, it does sound a lot like them."</p><p>	"They must be playing a very loud game then," the young hobbit reasoned.</p><p>	Bilbo laughed. "Indeed, but that's not out of the ordinary. Why, from my very own front step I've managed to hear the shouts and laughter of little hobbits running amok from all the way over the water." Frodo grinned impishly. "They must be tired, those little ones. Playing all day and now these Giants are keeping everyone awake." Bilbo made a show of shaking his head disapprovingly out of the window and crossed his arms over his chest. Out of the corner of his eye Bilbo could see Frodo trying to stifle a yawn behind his hand. "Come on." Bilbo scooped his nephew into his arms, blanket and all, and carried the drooping bundle back to bed.</p><p>	"But how did you get away from the giants?" pressed Frodo around another yawn.</p><p>	Swallowing down the vertigo inducing memories of that part of their journey Bilbo offered Frodo a watered down version of events. "Did I mention they were giants? We are very small people, Frodo, and believe it or not your uncle can be very quiet and sneaky when he wants to be, so we just crept past the Giants without them being any the wiser. Of course it helped that they were playing extremely loudly."</p><p>	"Like tonight," murmured Frodo, already half asleep.</p><p>	"Just like tonight," agreed Bilbo as he tucked Frodo warmly into his blankets. "So you'll just have to play extra loud and keep those pesky Giants awake with all your noise tomorrow."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I can't end stories well but this one has been in my mind for a while. I hope you enjoyed it!<br/>Also I have no beta so all mistakes are my own and I'm grateful to anyone who points them out to me.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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